A flatbed desktop scanner as known in the art, such as the Agfa SnapScan™ 1212p, contains a substantially rectangular base portion and a document lid. The base portion rests on the desk. A photo, a printed image or another object is positioned on the base portion, the document lid is closed and the object is scanned. The digital data obtained from the scan can then be processed by a computer, can be printed, can be sent over a network such as the Internet, etc.
A disadvantage of such a conventional scanner is that it requires quite some desk space, even when not in use—very often, a scanner is used only part of the time. Moreover, the scanner is usually connected to a computer that stands on the same desk and this computer often has other peripheral equipment, such as a printer. Such a combination of a computer and its peripheral equipment requires much space, and therefore it is important to save desk space.